In contrast to what we have been doing at JalBharat, we thought of complementing a writeup on the most precious resource, water. I stumbled upon this post called “Smart Urban Water” by Michael Di Matteo.
We all collectively understand and agree on one common problem, that is accessing clean drinking water. But, with the kind of vision we have for future, are we on-par with doing things that we are supposed to do before it gets too late?
Our visions for smart cities — with lush vegetated buildings, pristine living streams and lakes, and resilience to weather extremes — will be realized only if we plan for our most precious resource: water. – Says Adam Beck
Water Systems are under tremendous pressure:
With the rise of urbanization and smart cities development, the demand is on the rise, imposing pressure on the water sources to deliver.
- Too much of activity resulting in the rise of pollutants.
- Increase in urban temperatures resulting in cities dry-out.
- Drainage overflow.
- Urban vegetation on the stress.
Michael couldn’t have said it the better way.
Think of a smart tank?
An easy to access smart tanks that can help us store water and utilize it in the best way possible. Equipping the tanks with an outlet and instructing the same to release or hold water whenever required can be the game-changer.
“South East Water in Victoria has developed Tank Talk, a technology that allows rainwater tanks, used for harvesting water all-year round, to adapt to storm events. A remote-controlled outlet can be directed to empty a tank in anticipation of a storm to catch rainfall at critical times and reduce flooding in our streets.
In addition, the same device can allow water to be released slowly over time to mimic the natural (pre-urban) flow of water. This will help to restore urban lakes and streams to a more natural and healthy state.”
City Cooling System:
Irrigating urban areas during summers can help people chill out instead of routing to a nearby beach. Also, using treated water or harvested storm-water can help the purpose of irrigating the urban areas that helps in cooling down the city thus reducing the deaths caused due to severe heat.
To sum up, a smart city should also be a water-smart city. Managing the limited water resources in a smart way could be the only difference.
Concept Credits: SCC
